Q&A WITH PREMIER DELEGATE KEVIN SATTERWHITE

Q: How long have you served as a delegate for Premier, and why did you get involved in the first place?

A: I am in my eleventh year as a delegate. I served on the Southeast Select Sires board for six years. During my service on that board, we began discussing the 2019 merger with Select Sire Power to form Premier Select Sires. Once I got to know the Select Sire Power directors I was interested in and excited about the direction Premier was headed and I wanted to be a part of it!

Q: What are your responsibilities as a delegate on the Premier Board?

A: Delegates serve as liaisons to the board. We help carry the voice of the farmer owners to the board so we can make good decisions for our members. It’s unique to me that the delegates are as involved as they are with decisions at Premier, as we play a bigger role in the cooperative than some other organizations allow. We decide who of the delegates will sit on the board of directors. Aside from electing board members, delegates are involved in making many other decisions—some decisions are just for the board of directors, and some include both the board and delegates. We work closely with the board and CEO Mark Carpenter and the management team to help manage and run the cooperative.

Q: How do you feel your position as a delegate impacts the farmers who are member owners of the cooperative?

A: I am able to provide a voice for the membership. I can take comments—the voice of the farmers—back to the board to represent the members. There are delegates from the different regions within Premier to represent our diverse membership.

Q: Why do you feel cooperatives are beneficial or important?

A: I think it goes back to the owners. The member farmers own it. We as elected delegates and board members run it and we have the members in mind, so the members always have a voice. It’s more like a family, and we’re able to offer semen and other products at the best price we can because a larger organization is able to be more cost efficient.

Q: How would you encourage other members to be involved with their cooperative?

A: Read the publications and emails that come from your cooperative. There are a lot of ways to learn more on what we’re about. Take part in delegate elections, attend the annual meeting (whether live or virtual) and get involved by interacting with your cooperative. I encourage as many people as possible to be in cooperatives. I think we’re able to do a lot of things together, and I think our voice is very important with decisions and being able to provide services and quality products.

To learn more about Kevin and Satterwhite Farms, scan this QR code to watch a video interview!

WeightingsreflecttheHolsteinHHP$formulaasofApril2023.®Select MatingServiceandSMSareregisteredtrademarksofSelectSiresInc.™Herd HealthProfitDollars,HHP$,andGForcearetrademarksofSelectSiresInc. Sources:Mostertetal.,2019;Briggs,2022;Cabrera&Cordoba,2022.